Stories about Chinese from February, 2013
Chinese Parents of Gay Children Call for Equal Marriage Rights
More than 100 parents of gays and lesbians from different parts of China have sent an open letter [zh] to delegates of China’s National People’s Congress asking the government to legalize same-sex marriage.
Interactive Maps of China’s Most and Least Polluted Places
Beijing recently experienced its worst day of air quality on record. Since then, reporting on China’s “airpocalypse” has been accompanied by what seems like a monochromatic slideshow of the country’s iconic cities all smothered in thick smog.
Open Letter to China on Human Rights
Just prior to China's annual “two meetings” of the NPC and CPPCC, which are scheduled to convene on March 5, more than 100 prominent individuals — including academics, journalists, lawyers and economists signed an open letter...
After Ang Lee's Oscar Win, China Imagines Cinema Beyond Censors
Looking to Taiwanese-born director Ang Lee's Oscar win for Best Director with pride and envy, mainland Chinese web users frustrated with China's tight grip on the film industry are wondering about their own country's cinematic potential.
China, Pollution and Cancer Villages
A Chinese billionaire's warning that no amount of money can protect the rich from China's environmental crisis has resonated with web users, many of whom are already alarmed about the country's toxic combination of air and water contamination and food safety issues.
Defying the Government, Chinese Families Resurrect Graves
Scores of families have fought back against a controversial campaign in China's central Henan province to raze millions of graves for farmland by re-erecting their ancestors' resting places during the Lunar New Year.
In Pictures: The Polluted Rivers of China
Tencent News recently put together a photo story about the “colorful waters of China“, Offbeat China has translated the captions of the pictures.
China Not Blocking Hack Attack Discussion
U.S. cyber security firm Mandiant has reported that the Chinese People's Liberation Army is behind many cyber attacks against American organizations, but the usually heavy-handed Chinese government is not blocking...
Citizens Document Extreme Water Pollution in China
As the effects of China’s toxic smog problem in mid-January reverberate through the country, severe water pollution is documented by online campaigns calling for a reality check on the state of rivers across China.
North Korea's Nuclear Slap on the Chinese New Year
While the Chinese were celebrating their Lunar New Year, Pyongyang launched their third underground nuclear test just 100km away from their border with China. So far the Chinese government's response has been moderate. But online, both the pro-North Korea nationalists and the anti-North Korea liberals are not happy.
Incoming Chinese President's Mystery Fan Blogger Revealed
An anonymous blogger in China who ignited the country's curiosity with intimate details of incoming Chinese President Xi Jingping's comings and goings has revealed himself to be a college dropout and migrant worker unaffiliated with the communist party. Many remain skeptical that he is simply a fan.
Taiwanese Writer Finds Poetry in Laid-off Workers’ Railway Protest
Laid-off factory workers facing a lawsuit from the Taiwanese government over unpaid debt protested February 5 by lying across the tracks at a Taipei train station, bring traffic to standstill. The demonstration inspired a Taiwanese writer-animator to create an illustration and a poem dedicated to the group.
Hong Kong Activist Jailed for Burning Chinese Flag
A Hong Kong activist was sentenced to nine months in prison on Thursday for burning and defacing the Chinese flag and the Hong Kong flag during two separate demonstrations against the mainland's communist government, sparking many web users to upload their own desecration of the Chinese flag in protest of the heavy-handed sentence.
For Chinese Cinema, the Japanese Invasion That Never Ends
With China and Japan currently sparring over islands in the East China Sea, the Chinese entertainment industry has upped its production of films about Japan's World War II-era invasion of China. TV extra Shi Zhongpeng made headlines in China last week for reportedly having acted as a Japanese soldier more than 200 times last year.
Hong Kong's Parents Turn to Obama Over Baby Formula Shortage
Hong Kong residents, frustrated by a shortage of powdered baby formula caused by mainland Chinese smugglers making a run on the city's stocks, have launched a petition seeking help from the White House. So far, more than 22,000 have signed.
Taiwan: Who Misled Noam Chomsky?
Noam Chomsky's support for an anti-media monopoly campaign in Taiwan has recently been spun into a story of the intentional distortion of Chomsky's position by activists because the placard has a Chinese slogan that criticizes China's manipulation of Taiwanese media.
China: Police Pressure Whistleblower to Expose Source
The whistleblower of the sex tapes scandal in Chongqing, Zhu Ruifeng, is being pressured by the Chongqing police to surrender the original tapes of the 7 sex videos implicating eleven government officials.